The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hydrangea macrophylla, a member of the Hydrangeaceae family, hereinafter referred to as ‘Hymmad II’. This cultivar is grown primarily as an ornamental for landscape use and for use as a potted plant, fresh cut and dried flowers. The cultivar originated from open-pollination of Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Nigra’ (also know as ‘Mandschurica’) (non-patented, the pollen donor being unknown. It was selected at the University of Georgia, Athens, Ga. in 2002, from the progeny seedlings of this open pollination by continued evaluation for large, triple-rowed, pink sepals surrounding the center of fertile, violet-purple flowers, stout purple-black stems, increased mildew resistance, and improved leaf and flower characteristics.
‘Hymmad II’ is distinguished from its female parent ‘Nigra’, which has a pink or blue mophead inflorescence, by its pink lacecap inflorescence that does not change color in the absence or presence of aluminum (Al). The sepals (sterile florets) emerge green around the periphery of the inflorescence, open pink, and mature to lime green, maintaining the latter color when utilized as dried flowers. Inflorescences are more resistant to water stress and do not wilt under high heat. ‘Hymmad II’ has lustrous, more leathery, bullate, black-green leaves than ‘Nigra’. ‘Hymmad II’ had slight mildew in early fall, whereas in side-by-side comparisons, ‘Nigra’ was 100% infected by mildew. The thick, stout stems of ‘Hymmad II’ hold the inflorescence upright, without splaying. ‘Nigra’ inflorescences are mopheads and weigh the stems to the ground. ‘Hymmad II’ produces flowers from terminal and lateral buds, whereas ‘Nigra’ only produces them from terminal buds.